Peripheral Neuroimmune Mechanisms Of Chronic Back Pain, Aleyah Esther Goins

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Chronic back pain (CBP) affects 1 in 10 people worldwide, reducing mobility, productivity, and quality of life. Despite its prevalence, non-addictive treatments remain limited due to an incomplete understanding of chronic pain mechanisms. This dissertation examines peripheral neuroimmune interactions in CBP using a urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)-induced mouse model (uPA-CBP). uPA, a pro-inflammatory serine protease, was injected into the L2/L3 lumbar spinous ligament, inducing prolonged mechanical and cold hypersensitivity. Flow cytometry of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) showed increased CD45+CD11b+ myeloid cells in males and CD45+CD3+CD4+ lymphocytes in females. DRG neurons from male uPA-CBP mice exhibited heightened action potential firing. Pharmacological …

Influence Of Hearing Loss On Self-Reported Hearing Ability And Listening Fatigue In Persons With Aphasia, Ashlyn Kilgore

Poster Presentations

Aphasia is an acquired disorder, often caused by stroke, that results in language deficits. It can greatly impact a person's ability to communicate with others. Cognitive deficits may accompany aphasia. Additionally, hearing loss is a disability likely to co-occur with aphasia, as they both most commonly impact the same age group. When a person has hearing loss, the quality of the auditory signal is degraded when it reaches the brain. The poor signal quality, compounded with linguistic and possible cognitive deficits that are associated with aphasia, makes it more difficult for persons with aphasia (PWA) to comprehend speech.

For all …

The Impact Of An Iron-Rich Diet On Fatigue In Menstruating Women With Non-Anemic Iron Deficiency, Meagan Seraydar, Lauren Latimer, Sam Miragliatto

Department of Nutrition Student Projects

Fatigue without diagnosed anemia is prevalent in menstruating women, with iron deficiency being a potential contributor. While iron supplementation is a standard intervention, dietary sources of iron may offer a sustainable alternative. This study aims to assess the impact of an iron-rich diet on fatigue levels in menstruating women. A 12-week randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, assigning participants to either an iron-rich diet group or a control group following their usual diet without specific iron recommendations. Fatigue will be measured using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at baseline, six weeks, and twelve weeks, alongside iron status biomarkers, including …

The Illusion Of Brain Health Across A Plastic Canvas, Thomas J. Kelly Jr, Lauren Gaspar, Jaime Ross Phd, Guiseppe Coppotelli Phd

Senior Honors Projects

In recent years, there has been increasing concern for the role that plastic waste, and more specifically micro- and nanoplastics, play in our environment and their potential health risks. Microplastics are particles less than 5 mm in size and nanoplastics are considered to be less than 1000 nm in size. Microplastics can either purposely be produced or can sludge off larger pieces of plastic. Microplastics have not only been detected within soil, air, and water, but have also recently been found to accumulate within the human body. The mosaic artwork that is presented in this project, entitled “Our Cerebral Plastic …

Optimizing Interventions For Major Depressive Disorder And Provider Burnout: Self-Speak Exercise Dosing (Sed), Laureen Maloney-Gepfert

Lynchburg Journal of Medical Science

ABSTRACT

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is ranked highest among mental illnesses in the United States (US) and significantly contributes to the mental health care crisis. Patients experience resistance to pharmacologic interventions, side effects, co-morbidities, and mental health provider shortages. Subsequently, 33 % of Serious Mental Illnesses (SMIs) are being redirected to Primary Care Providers (PCPs). Concurrently, prescriber mental health is in crisis. Growing workloads for physicians and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) have increased provider burnout syndrome (BOS). Major Depressive Disorder and BOS are positively affected by exercise, Cognitive Restructuring (CR), and Behavioral Activation (BA). Sports medicine and psychology research shows …

Quantifying The Impact Of Circadian Rhythm On Cognitive Domains: An Objective Assessment, Christian Mccormick, Angel Oliver, Neha Doppalapudi, Austin Gibson, Micah Kwallek, Bardia Movafagh, Samuel Park, Jutta Ward, Deborah Bell-Pedersen

Annual Research Symposium

This poster presentation explores the relationship between an individuals circadian clock and its effects on cognitive performance and overall cognitive function. By assessing the rhythms of multiple physiological parameters, this study aims to draw a connection with cognitive function in order to provide potential avenues for individualized treatments for those with disorders affecting cognitive function.

Educating Medical Students In Sleep, Diet, And Exercise To Determine Effects On Their Treatment Plan Development For Future Patients, Paul Jackson, Wyatt Edgekoski, Kaleb Gustavsen, Andrew Payne

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Traumatic Brain Injury On Noradrenergic Innervation Of The Prefrontal Cortex, Jil P. Modi, Christopher P. Knapp, Rachel L. Navarra

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a common cause of death and disability in the United States, and it can occur due to varied reasons including motor vehicle accidents, gunshot wounds, and falls. Following TBIs, patients are often left with lifelong disabilities and cognitive problems that can lead to increased risk-taking behaviors. The main goal of my research was to understand the neural mechanisms that drive increased risk-taking behaviors due to TBIs. The specific areas of the brain I was interested in looking at were the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and/or anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of the prefrontal …

Single Case Experimental Design Examining Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Post-Stroke Depression, Liam Alexander Mackenzie Myles, Emma Jones

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Background. Post-stroke depression (PSD) is common in older-age adults and is typically treated with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). However, research has ascertained mixed findings regarding the efficacy of CBT for PSD in older-age adults, with limited evidence in people from global majority backgrounds. Materials and Methods. This case study used single case experimental design methodology to examine the effectiveness of CBT for PSD in a black, older-age man. The effects of health conditions, cohort beliefs, transitions in role investments, socio-cultural context and early experiences on the client’s thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviours were formulated, before behavioural activation was used to …

Outpatient Fall Prevention In Ambulatory Adults 65 Years Old And Over, Dorothy L. Osborne-White

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects - Archive

Background: In the United States (U.S.), falls are the leading cause of injury among adults 65 and over, resulting in 36 million falls yearly (Moreland et al., 2020). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2023), one in four older adults experiences a fall each year. Falls are the world's second most prominent cause of accidental deaths (World Health Organization [WHO], 2021). Falls are the leading cause of both fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults (Moreland et al., 2020).

Methods: A quality improvement project that included a fall bundle was implemented in a primary clinic. A …

Autonomic Modulation Of Cardiac Function In Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Jenna Rose Disser

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common genetic heart disorder. HCM is characterized by cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and an increased risk of fatal arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Previous studies in humans with HCM have demonstrated increased cardiac norepinephrine spillover and reduced beta-1 receptor (β1R) expression in the left ventricle (LV). We have previously demonstrated that cardiac sympathetic tone is elevated in an alpha-tropomyosin mutant mouse model of HCM. We hypothesized that HCM mice would demonstrate reduced β1R expression in the LV and attenuated heart rate (HR) and dP/dt max responses to ramped infusion of the β1R agonist, dobutamine. …

Can Alternative Medical Methods Evoke Neuro-Functional Somatosensory Responses? A Case Study Suggesting Functional Improvement, Alhasn Otaif, Mashan E. Alshammari, Christine G. Gerin

Research Symposium

Somatosensory pathways act as the avenue in transferring information concerning the body and its interaction with the external environment to the brain. We aim to demonstrate that through studying somatosensory, motor cortical and subcortical networks, we can explain functional recovery after stimulations applied as an alternative medical treatment. Those stimulations might have evidenced neural pathways and networks important in recovery of function. Materials and methods: The de-identified medical reports of nine patients with initial presentations of cerebral trauma or stroke inducing paralysis were studied.These included the alternative treatments they received and other available materials such as videos and photographs. Patients …

Effects Of Age On Amplitude-Modulated Cvemp Temporal Modulation Transfer Function, Raghav H. Jha

Dissertations, 2020-current

With the aging population on the rise, the need for effective assessment tools to identify risk factors for falls among the elderly is paramount. One independent risk factor for falls is vestibular impairment, but the available vestibular diagnostic tests have limitations. A promising new methodology: amplitude-modulated tones to elicit a vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (AMcVEMP), offers a more detailed examination of vestibular (sacculo-collic reflex) functions. This method assesses non-linearities, synchrony, and magnitude, providing a more thorough evaluation compared to the conventional transient cVEMP. So far, AMcVEMP has only been utilized in young adults.

The current study aimed to investigate the impact …

Effects Of Concussion And Visuomotor Metrics On Nhl Performance: An Explainable Ai Approach, Michael T. Moschitto

Master's Theses

Cognitive motor integration (CMI), the simultaneous coordination between cerebral function and motor output, is known to deteriorate following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This thesis explores the relationship between mTBI, CMI, and the performance of elite athletes in the National Hockey League (NHL). The approach focuses on examining the predictive value of various supervised Machine Learning (ML) models with an emphasis on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) models. Since the ML solution is intended to complement human scouting decisions, we evaluate the experiments based on both interpretability and accuracy on a limited class imbalanced dataset. The contributions of this research …

Sleep Problems In Old Age: Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor To The Rescue, Sho Inami, Dinis J.S. Afonso, Kyunghee Koh

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

A Phenomenological Take On Mirror Self-Face Perception In Schizophrenia, Giovanni Pennisi

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Studies concerning social deficits in schizophrenia has often been restrained to exploring facial recognition. Various investigations have shown that those diagnosed with schizophrenia have difficulties in perceiving the identities and emotions of those around them merely through observing their facial features. A few others have also taken into account the issue of self-face recognition in individuals with schizophrenia, finding that their capacity to associate photos or videos of their own face to themselves is hindered due to the illness. However, to my knowledge, only a few studies have so far delved into the intricacies of how individuals with schizophrenia or …

Massive Loss Of Proprioceptive Ia Synapses In Rat Spinal Motoneurons After Nerve Crush Injuries In The Postnatal Period, Ariadna Arbat-Plana, Sara Bolívar, Xavier Navarro, Esther Udina, Francisco J. Alvarez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) induce the retraction from the ventral horn of the synaptic collaterals of Ia afferents injured in the nerve, effectively removing Ia synapses from α-motoneurons. The loss of Ia input impairs functional recovery and could explain, in part, better recovery after PNIs with better Ia synaptic preservation. Synaptic losses correlate with injury severity, speed, and efficiency of muscle reinnervation and requires ventral microglia activation. It is unknown whether this plasticity is age dependent. In neonates, axotomized motoneurons and sensory neurons undergo apoptosis, but after postnatal day 10 most survive. The goal of this study was to analyze …

Fast Blue And Cholera Toxin-B Survival Guide For Alpha-Motoneurons Labeling: Less Is Better In Young B6sjl Mice, But More Is Better In Aged C57bl/J Mice, Hasan Farid, Weston B. Gleford, Lori L. Goss, Teresa L. Garrett, Sherif M. Elbasiouny

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Fast Blue (FB) and Cholera Toxin-B (CTB) are two retrograde tracers extensively used to label alpha-motoneurons (α-MNs). The overall goals of the present study were to (1) assess the effectiveness of different FB and CTB protocols in labeling α-MNs, (2) compare the labeling quality of these tracers at standard concentrations reported in the literature (FB 2% and CTB 0.1%) versus lower concentrations to overcome tracer leakage, and (3) determine an optimal protocol for labeling α-MNs in young B6SJL and aged C57Bl/J mice (when axonal transport is disrupted by aging). Hindlimb muscles of young B6SJL and aged C57Bl/J mice were intramuscularly …

Motoneuron Excitability Dysfunction In Als: Pseudo-Mystery Or Authentic Conundrum?, Sherif M. Elbasiouny

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), abnormalities in motoneuronal excitability are seen in early pathogenesis and throughout disease progression. Fully understanding motoneuron excitability dysfunction may lead to more effective treatments. Yet decades of research have not produced consensus on the nature, role or underlying mechanisms of motoneuron excitability dysfunction in ALS. For example, contrary to Ca excitotoxicity theory, predictions of motoneuronal hyper-excitability, normal and hypo-excitability have also been seen at various disease stages and in multiple ALS lines. Accordingly, motoneuron excitability dysfunction in ALS is a disputed topic in the field. Specifically, the form (hyper, hypo or unchanged) and what role …

Non-Invasive Transcutaneous Spinal Dc Stimulation As A Neurorehabilitation Als Therapy In Awake G93a Mice: The First Step To Clinical Translation, Morgan M. Highlander, Sherif M. Elbasiouny

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Spinal direct current stimulation (sDCS) modulates motoneuron (MN) excitability beyond the stimulation period, making it a potential neurorehabilitation therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a MN degenerative disease in which MN excitability dysfunction plays a critical and complex role. Recent evidence confirms induced changes in MN excitability via measured MN electrophysiological properties in the SOD1 ALS mouse during and following invasive subcutaneous sDCS (ssDCS). The first aim of our pilot study was to determine the clinical potential of these excitability changes at symptom onset (P90-P105) in ALS via a novel non-invasive transcutaneous sDCS (tsDCS) treatment paradigm on un-anesthetized SOD1-G93A mice. …

Suppression Of Store-Operated Calcium Entry Channels And Cytokine Release By Cannabinoids, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Microglia In Neuroinflammation Of The Spinal Cord After Peripheral Nerve Injury, Tana S. Pottorf, Travis M. Rotterman, William M. Mccallum, Zoë A. Haley-Johnson, Francisco J. Alvarez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Peripheral nerve injuries induce a pronounced immune reaction within the spinal cord, largely governed by microglia activation in both the dorsal and ventral horns. The mechanisms of activation and response of microglia are diverse depending on the location within the spinal cord, type, severity, and proximity of injury, as well as the age and species of the organism. Thanks to recent advancements in neuro-immune research techniques, such as single-cell transcriptomics, novel genetic mouse models, and live imaging, a vast amount of literature has come to light regarding the mechanisms of microglial activation and alluding to the function …

Il-10 And Tgf-Β Increase Connexin-43 Expression And Membrane Potential Of Hl-1 Cardiomyocytes Coupled With Raw 264.7 Macrophages, Cora B. Cox, Mike Castro, Thomas L. Brown, Nancy J. Bigley

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Cardiac resident macrophages facilitate electrical conduction by interacting with cardiomyocytes via connexin-43 (Cx43) hemichannels. Cx43 is critical for impulse propagation and coordination between muscle contractions. Cardiomyocyte electrophysiology can be altered when coupled with noncardiomyocyte cell types such as M2c tissue-resident macrophages. Using cocultures of murine HL-1 cardiomyocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages, we examined the hypothesis that cytokine signals, TGF-β1 and IL-10, upregulate Cx43 expression at points of contact between the two cell types. These cytokine signals maintain the macrophages in an M2c anti-inflammatory phenotype, mimicking cardiac resident macrophages. The electrophysiology of cardiomyocytes was examined using di-8-ANEPPS potentiometric dye, which reflects …

A Neurophysiological Investigation Of Listening Effort In Normal Hearing Adults Using Fnirs And Pupillometry, Jessica Defenderfer

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Real-world conversations are often accompanied by some sort of interference that challenges the clarity of the speaker’s message, causing listeners to exert more effort to understand speech. Previous research has demonstrated that when listening to speech becomes difficult, various regions of the brain are recruited beyond those which engage during optimal listening conditions. However, the neural correlates that underly listening effort are not fully understood. Importantly, the pupillary response can be used to index listening effort, such that pupil size increases with increasing cognitive demand. I proposed that pupillometry can be used to characterize the cortical response, such that changes …

Acute Oxygen-Sensing Via Mitochondria-Generated Temperature Transients In Rat Carotid Body Type I Cells, Ryan J. Rakoczy, Clay M. Schiebrel, Christopher N. Wyatt

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The Carotid Bodies (CB) are peripheral chemoreceptors that detect changes in arterial oxygenation and, via afferent inputs to the brainstem, correct the pattern of breathing to restore blood gas homeostasis. Herein, preliminary evidence is presented supporting a novel oxygen-sensing hypothesis which suggests CB Type I cell “hypoxic signaling” may in part be mediated by mitochondria-generated thermal transients in TASK-channel-containing microdomains. Distances were measured between antibody-labeled mitochondria and TASK-potassium channels in primary rat CB Type I cells. Sub-micron distance measurements (TASK-1: 0.33 ± 0.04 µm, n = 47 vs TASK-3: 0.32 ± 0.03 µm, n = …

The Anti-Inflammatory Agent Bindarit Attenuates The Impairment Of Neural Development Through Suppression Of Microglial Activation In A Neonatal Hydrocephalus Mouse Model, Eri Iwasawa, Farrah N. Brown, Crystal Shula, Fatima Kahn, Sang Hoon Lee, Temugin Berta, David R. Ladle, Kenneth Campbell, Francesco T. Mangano, June Goto

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Neonatal hydrocephalus presents with various degrees of neuroinflammation and long-term neurologic deficits in surgically treated patients, provoking a need for additional medical treatment. We previously reported elevated neuroinflammation and severe periventricular white matter damage in the progressive hydrocephalus (prh) mutant which contains a point mutation in the Ccdc39 gene, causing loss of cilia-mediated unidirectional CSF flow. In this study, we identified cortical neuropil maturation defects such as impaired excitatory synapse maturation and loss of homeostatic microglia, and swimming locomotor defects in early postnatal prh mutant mice. Strikingly, systemic application of the anti-inflammatory small molecule bindarit significantly supports healthy …

Evaluation Of Hippocampal Allostatic Load-Associated Factors In Animal Models Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Relevance To Human Ptsd, Dennis Parker Kelley

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated allostatic load, nearly double the risk for metabolic syndrome, reduced hippocampal volume, and contextual memory processing deficits. Emerging evidence suggests that these stress effects may predispose individuals to the development of PTSD, and there is a known relationship between chronic stress and metabolic dysfunction. In this work, we utilized two rat models of PTSD to explore these connections. We used an acute predator odor stressor to investigate the relationship between PTSD-like behaviors and mitochondrial dysfunction in the hippocampus of rats, and we observed that conditioned place avoidance was associated with reduced mitochondrial …

Ethanol And Opioids Do Not Act Synergistically To Depress Excitation In Carotid Body Type I Cells, Ryan J. Rakoczy, Kajal Kamra, Yoon-Jae Yi, Christopher N. Wyatt

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The combination of opioids and ethanol can synergistically depress breathing and the acute ventilatory response to hypoxia. Multiple studies have shown that the underlying mechanisms for this may involve calcium channel inhibition in central neurons. But we have previously identified opioid receptors in the carotid bodies and shown that their activation inhibits calcium influx into the chemosensitive cells. Given that the carotid bodies contribute to the drive to breathe and underpin the acute hypoxic ventilatory response, we hypothesized that ethanol and opioids may act synergistically in these peripheral sensory organs to further inhibit calcium influx and therefore inhibit ventilation.

Methods …

Genetic Targeting Of Adult Renshaw Cells Using A Calbindin 1 Destabilized Cre Allele For Intersection With Parvalbumin Or Engrailed1, Alicia R. Lane, Indeara C. Cogdell, Thomas M. Jessell, Jay B. Bikoff, Francisco J. Alvarez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Renshaw cells (RCs) are one of the most studied spinal interneurons; however, their roles in motor control remain enigmatic in part due to the lack of experimental models to interfere with RC function, specifically in adults. To overcome this limitation, we leveraged the distinct temporal regulation of Calbindin (Calb1) expression in RCs to create genetic models for timed RC manipulation. We used a Calb1 allele expressing a destabilized Cre (dgCre) theoretically active only upon trimethoprim (TMP) administration. TMP timing and dose influenced RC targeting efficiency, which was highest within the first three postnatal weeks, but specificity was low with …

Nsaids Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Salicylate, And Aspirin Inhibit Trpm7 Channels By Cytosolic Acidification, Rikki Chokshi, Orville Bennett, Tetyana Zhelay, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used for relieving pain and inflammation accompanying numerous disease states. The primary therapeutic mechanism of these widely used drugs is the inhibition of cyclooxygenase 1 and 2 (COX1, 2) enzymes that catalyze the conversion of arachidonic acid into prostaglandins. At higher doses, NSAIDs are used for prevention of certain types of cancer and as experimental treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. In the immune system, various NSAIDs have been reported to influence neutrophil function and lymphocyte proliferation, and affect ion channels and cellular calcium homeostasis. Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) cation channels are highly expressed in …